Terrebonne acquires money for recreational trails

Friday

Nov 30, 2012 at 11:01 AM

The Terrbonne Parish Council has approved $122,000 to construct a biking and walking trail that could be ready by March.

Chance RyanStaff Writer

The Terrbonne Parish Council has approved $122,000 to construct a biking and walking trail that could be ready by March.The first phase of the Southdown Trails System, the Southdown Loop, includes a 2.5-mile trailhead that will serve as an off-road bicycle trail in addition to a 6.7-mile bike route. The loop will start at Hollywood Road and travel along La. 311, reaching Civic Center Drive, then extend along Polk Street, ending at the Valhi Boulevard intersection. The Terrebonne Parish Council approved a $92,000 grant from the Federal Highway Administration Recreational Trails program, through the Louisiana Department of Agriculture, Recreation and Tourism, at its Wednesday night meeting. An additional $30,000 comes from the parish’s general fund. Duplantis Design Group engineers of Houma is completing the construction drawings, which will include parking, a loading area, picnic tables and a kiosk with information about the route, safety and hours of operation, said Houma-Terrebonne’s Senior Planner Chris Pulaski.“This first route opening will also include public safety and education outreach programs,” Pulaski said.Pulaski anticipates breaking ground in February and phase one to be completed by March.Last week, the parish received about $90,000 from the state to design and construct phase two — the Westside Loop, which will connect the areas of Bayou Black, Gibson, La. 20, Red Bull Road and La. 311 to the Southdown Loop.The parish will use about $25,000 from its general fund for the project. “We are ready to go. We can’t delay any longer. We need to move forward so we can get even more done,” Pulaski said.South Central Planning is helping with the project. “We are moving forward with soliciting bids to get the work done on behalf of the parish, and we will oversee the actual construction of the facility,” said Kevin Belanger, South Central Planning chief executive officer. Belanger said safety is a primary feature in the trails’ development.“This is going to be a delineated, well-marked (project) that will be built with controls for safety,” Belanger said.The trails will have thoroughly marked lanes along road shoulders and highly visible signs for vehicles, he said. More related projects are possible, Pulaski said.“Even more trails on the east side of Houma are on our radar as well,” he said. “And we will continue to work with local bicycle and running enthusiasts to identify and prioritize future trail routes.” One of the strategies, as part of the proposed Terrebonne Parish Vision 2030: Comprehensive Master Plan, is to create a resident-based advisory board to focus on improving recreation opportunities, Pulaski said.“We have a pretty good idea of what we need to improve in the parish. But we also have enthusiasts’ groups … who are more in tune to what we need because they are the ones out there who really benefit and utilize these facilities.”The trails could eventually be expanded to have kayak launches along Bayou Sale Road, Pulaski said.The concept, Pulaski said, is to build a recreational network that connects with other communities.“The more we can build a network of trails, the better the whole system will be. We’re not just trying to create trails within our parish, but also regionally. We’d like to be able to connect with Lafourche someday.”